vanity tray #2

[Wichman]

This the second vanity tray, 2 of 2. I finally got a good picture of the finish.   8 coats of rattle can shellac.

 

[MarieC]

It looks beautifully made!... but could you please take another picture so I can see the sides better....What kind of wood did you use?  Also, why did you decide to use shellac over other finishes?  

[Wichman]

48 minutes ago, MarieC said:

It looks beautifully made!... but could you please take another picture so I can see the sides better....What kind of wood did you use?  Also, why did you decide to use shellac over other finishes?  

I'll work on more pics. The wood is Elm, from a tree in my front yard I had taken down and slabbed.

I prefer shellac on fretwork because it doesn't need to be sanded between coats. The new coat of shellac "melts" the old coat and bonds to it.

1/4 inch Elm, mostly #1 FD Polar blades, no glue; it's a through mortise design so I pin the tenons and I pined the bottom ( I use toothpicks for the pins, and just let the contrast be a design element, using pins means no fouling the stain and finish with glue that didn't get cleaned up enough )

If you expand the picture you can see the reflection of the end.

 

[Dak0ta52]

Nice piece, Wichita. It's nice that you can use wood from your own yard. Especially when it turns out this nicely.

[rjweb]

Very nice, RJ

[Bill WIlson]

18 hours ago, MarieC said:

It looks beautifully made!... but could you please take another picture so I can see the sides better....What kind of wood did you use?  Also, why did you decide to use shellac over other finishes?  

If you've been on this forum very much, you know that I rarely miss an opportunity to praise shellac as an excellent option for scrolled projects.  It is my go-to finish for just about everything I scroll.  

I can't speak for Wichman, but I use shellac because it lends itself so easily to spraying and spraying is my preferred method of finishing fretwork.  It dries very quickly.  It's very easy to clean up.  It sprays easily, even if you are a spraying novice.  It leaves a nice, amber tint that enhances most wood grains.  It doesn't have a lingering odor.  It's easy to repair.  It sticks to most anything.  There are lots of options for color, from different grades of shellac flakes to mixing with dyes.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

It's a wonderful, traditional finish that I think if often overlooked by many hobbiests. 

[daveww1]

very nice job

[Scrappile]

I can definitely say you did a great job on the top of the bottom of that tray....

[MarieC]

3 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

If you've been on this forum very much, you know that I rarely miss an opportunity to praise shellac as an excellent option for scrolled projects.  It is my go-to finish for just about everything I scroll.  

I can't speak for Wichman, but I use shellac because it lends itself so easily to spraying and spraying is my preferred method of finishing fretwork.  It dries very quickly.  It's very easy to clean up.  It sprays easily, even if you are a spraying novice.  It leaves a nice, amber tint that enhances most wood grains.  It doesn't have a lingering odor.  It's easy to repair.  It sticks to most anything.  There are lots of options for color, from different grades of shellac flakes to mixing with dyes.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

It's a wonderful, traditional finish that I think if often overlooked by many hobbiests. 

Thank you Bill, Pretty new to the Forum.... Do you use Zinsser?  I have only used the one you brush on...didn't even know there was a spray on type.  I mix mine with beeswax, turp and boiled linseed oil for my bench top...I like the smell of it.   I will have to try to find the spray...  Thanks again!

[Bill WIlson]

Yes, most of what I use is the Zinsser Bulls Eye in both the liquid form and the spray can.  I also have mixed my own with flakes dissolved in de-natured alcohol.

I rarely brush it.  It dries so fast that brushing can be a challenge.  Typically I'll spray it using a cheap, gravity fed spray gun, connected to my Kobalt 26 gallon compressor.  It's a lot easier than you might think.

[barb.j.enders]

1 hour ago, MarieC said:

I mix mine with beeswax, turp and boiled linseed oil for my bench top...I like the smell of it. 

Marie,  how much beeswax to you mix it with?  Do you think that the shellac could be mixed with only the beeswax and not adding turp & blo?

[MarieC]

Barb, I was told by an old timer (he called himself that ...he was in his late 80's) woodworker to use a turp, BLO, and beeswax recipe (so I use this one https://woodandshop.com/make-a-historic-beeswax-oil-turpentine-furniture-polish-finish/)  and then add some Shellac.  So I use equal parts of everything.  1/4 beeswax, 1/4 turp, 1/4 shellac, 1/4 BLO.   I think I remember reading that you need the Turp to dissolve the beeswax completely so I don't think the shellac alone will dissolve beeswax....but if you try it and it works let me know.... mc

[Wichman]

On 5/1/2023 at 11:20 AM, MarieC said:

It looks beautifully made!... but could you please take another picture so I can see the sides better....What kind of wood did you use?  Also, why did you decide to use shellac over other finishes?  

Here are some pictures of the side. The closeup is to show the issue I'm having with the small drill bits, that the bottom piece as I drilled, notice the drill hole is outside the pattern, the drill bit bend inside the wood and by the time its at the bottom of the 1" thick piece the hole is outside the pattern

[MarieC]

18 hours ago, Wichman said:

Here are some pictures of the side. The closeup is to show the issue I'm having with the small drill bits, that the bottom piece as I drilled, notice the drill hole is outside the pattern, the drill bit bend inside the wood and by the time its at the bottom of the 1" thick piece the hole is outside the pattern

 

It sure is beautiful!   I could see that happening especially with 1 inch wood.   I do not think anyone but you will notice.... but I know how that goes as well.  But I love your tray.  Cutting that at an angle must have been tricky.....not sure how one does that....

I haven't seen any vanity trays on here so thank you so much for sharing....maybe I will try to make one some day if I can figure out how to do that angled joinery.  

[Wichman]

43 minutes ago, MarieC said:

It sure is beautiful!   I could see that happening especially with 1 inch wood.   I do not think anyone but you will notice.... but I know how that goes as well.  But I love your tray.  Cutting that at an angle must have been tricky.....not sure how one does that....

I haven't seen any vanity trays on here so thank you so much for sharing....maybe I will try to make one some day if I can figure out how to do that angled joinery.  

To clarify: all the cuts are at 90*. The plans use a through mortise. I dry assemble the piece and hold it together with clamps, mark the position for the holes ( for the pins ) with a .3mm mechanical pencil, disassemble and drill the holes ( not centered on the line but next to it ). Reassemble and run toothpicks though the holes ( using the tapered end of the toothpick to help feed it through the hole ). Finish with shellac ( which also acts as an adhesive to keep the pins in place ).